It was a week before Jinwoo's debut performance as the Little Prince, right about 1 month since he started chatting with the girl from dating website. Seungyoon observe Jinwoo showed peculiar behavior as he was lying on the couch in the living room of their apartment. Jinwoo stared at his phone screen then shifted his gaze to the ceiling. He lets out a year worth of sigh then stared at his phone screen again. When he went back and forth doing those same things repeatedly, Seungyoon who has been working on the lyrics of his new song is getting impatient.

"Jinwoo-hyung, what's the matter now?"

Startled, Jinwoo look at the source of the voice and found out Seungyoon staring at him with curious look while folding his hands in front of his body.

"I.... There's nothing wrong".

Seungyoon didn't bought what Jinwoo said. "Yeah, right. Let's pretend that I didn't know last night you googled 'how to win a girl's heart' when we're in living room together to watch Running Man. Is it about her? Irene?"

He's getting embarrassed when he heard Seungyoon's remarks. Seungyoon being Seungyoon, he probably knew what Jinwoo was pondering. Jinwoo raised his body to sit on the couch and nodded, answering Seungyoon's question with his gesture.

"So...what happened, exactly?"

"Well, I have 5 invitation tickets to the musical theater and I was thinking to give it to the 3 of you and Irene." Jinwoo pressed his hands together and intertwined his fingers. "But I'm too shy and a little bit scared".

Seungyoon chuckled, "What are you afraid of? That she might not like the girl of your dream?"

Jinwoo let out a sigh before explained, "I'm more afraid about the possibility I might not fulfilled her expectation. I know it sounds weird... And I know I only talked to her for a month.... but...I really liked her, you know? It feels like I finally found someone who's not only interesting but also got me. I'm dying to meet her but at the same time I don't want to because I'm afraid it would burst her bubble."

"I don't get it."  Seungyoon blinked rapidly. "I believe anyone who meets Jinwoo hyung will fall to your charm. Don't be too pessimistic, hyung."

"Yeah, right", Jinwoo still looks unconvinced. Seungyoon stared gently at him. "You are handsome and kind", he emphazised. "What's not to like? The only thing I don't like about you is your lack of confidence."

Jinwoo looked down, avoiding Seungyoon's eyes. "The thing is.... I'm not such a smooth talker like you. I'm not funny like Mino or Seunghoon. I can't do push-and-pull in flirting. What if she found me boring? There's some cases in the past where girls approaching me due to my face then turn away when they deem I'm not as interesting as my looks."

Seungyoon hate the way Jinwoo's voice sounded scratchy, almost like he would cry. He tightened his lips, preparing to say something to cast out the gloomy atmosphere. He then lightly on Jinwoo's arm and said, "Jinwoo hyung. Whenever life presents me with challenge or opportunity and there's doubt in my heart whether I should take it or not, I always ask myself a question. 'What's the worst thing that can happen if I fail?' If this whole thing about Irene is fail, then she just likes the girls that hurt you in the past. You have survived those cases, you can survive 1 more. But what if you succeed? What if she's not like everyone else? She has been chatting with you for 1 month and you said you finally found someone who gets you. What if she's your 'special one' and you choose to pass her just because you're afraid? Which one you will regret more?"

Jinwoo mulled over what Seungyoon said. He smiled and looked up at him. "I think I'll give those tickets to Irene too. But maybe I'll asked her to come on the last day of the performance, when I have gain more experience and perfected my acting."

"By the way, this is your ticket. It can be used 1 time for any day of the performance." Jinwoo handed over the ticket to Seungyoon.    

Seungyoon reply, “Thank you hyung." He hesitated before added, "Jinwoo hyung, I don't know how to explain it to you. But whenever I saw you crouching and hiding away in a hood, it broke my heart as it seemed like you didn’t want to reveal yourself to the world. It just didn’t make sense that someone so good-looking and cool would want to hide away. You really deserve to be loved. Cheer up, my friend!"

Jinwoo's chest is swelling with overwhelming emotion, "Thank you Seungyoon."

***********************************************

Unfortunately, when Jinwoo asked whether Irene has free time in the days of the musical is held, she said she's busy preparing for her next audition. Jinwoo felt a little bit disappointed. But Seungyoon, Seunghoon, and Mino plan to come to the first day of the musical so he brighten up. He felt so nervous and excited at the same time. The same thing he felt whenever he perform in front of audience. But he knows that once he's on stage, the tense in his nerve will be swallowed by his excitement and he'd be too immersed in his performance.

******************************************************

"Let's make a bet. The loser of rock-paper-scissor have to treat dinner for all of us", Seunghoon said when he enter the gate of the venue to watch The Little Prince's musical along with Seungyoon and Mino. "Using rock-paper-scissor again? Can we play other games? I'm bad at this," Seungyoon protested. "I also don't want to play rock-paper-scissor here. What will pretty ladies who come to this hall think about me if they saw us playing such a childish game here?" Mino further added while he scans his surroundings. There's quite many people come to watch the musical.

Seunghoon groaned at Mino's comment. "You don't need to put a facade here Mino. Those pretty ladies will soon know how embarrassing you are in real life after they know you."  Not wanting to lose, Mino's reply, "Yeah. But when they know it, it's already too late because they'll already fall so deep for me."  

Seunghoon chuckled, "You make it sounds like you're some kind of Cassanova when in reality you've been single for years." Mino scowled at his Dumb and Dumber partner, "At least I'm better than someone who's two-timing." Seunghoon curled his lip, "Who? Fyi, Ah Yeon and Seungyeon just my friends and I never date any of them."

Seungyoon stop the two of them before the conversation began to be absurd. "Why do you guys arguing about such things? All 3 of us are singles. End of the story. Let's use our energy to get acquainted with new people, shall we? Like to that pretty ladies over there." He pointed out to 2 o'clock direction from their standing position. There's 3 pretty girls with long hairs who just received booklets of the performance from the employees and walking to enter the hall. One of them wear black off-shoulder dress. The other girl wears a black pants, white blouse and black fedora. The last one wear a green cold-shoulder dress.

When Mino looked at them, he dropped his jaw. His mouth hung as if unhinged. When he finally collecting his jaw from the floor, he mused, "Why is she here?"

Both Seunghoon and Seungyoon looked at Mino, "Who?"

"That's Seulgi. Do you remember the beautiful girl that I met in Domino's Pizza? The one that it turns out to be the friend of Jinwoo-hyung's girl from dating website? That's her!"

"Ssttt", Seunghoon shush him. The 3 girls keep chatting then enter the hall from different door from them. The 3 boys watch the 3 girls like a hawk until they disappear.

Seungyoon broke the silence, "I think I have seen the girl in green dress. She's a quite famous Youtuber. She post her cover of popular songs. I think her name is Wendy Son or something like that. Which one is Seulgi?"

Mino grinned, "The only one who doesn't wear dress among them. She's seriously so pretty. But why she's here? Is it fate?"

Seunghoon's eyebrows scrunching as he processed the information. "Maybe she likes to watch musical." He continued, "Or maybe she came here to accompany Irene."

"Wait, but Irene said to Jinwoo hyung that she can't come." A sudden realization comes to Seungyoon. "Or she might want to surprise Jinwoo hyung".

"So, the one in black dress is Irene? Oh My God. She's so pretty too! We need to tell Jinwoo hyung"

"Let's go to the backstage once the performance is over and tell Jinwoo hyung about this."

With that, those 3 handsome boys enter the hall.

*******************************************************

When Seunghoon, Seungyoon and Mino rush over to the backstage to relay the news to Jinwoo, he feels like he is floating when in fact he was sitting on a chair because he's tired. He stood up so fast he saw stars and nearly tripped over his chair in the process of reaching for his phone in his bag. When he sends the message to Irene, his heart skips a beat. The reply comes several seconds later but the velocity of Jinwoo checking the reply make it seems like he's been waiting message from someone who kidnapped his family members.

---

Irene:

You failed to mentioned that you could sing like an angel.

That was an amazing performance.

---

 

She's really here! Oh my God! What should I do?

Seunghoon, Seungyoon and Mino laugh a little when they saw their hyung's panic expression.

---

 Jinwoo:

Irene, are you here?

Irene:

Yup.

Jinwoo:

Let's meet up if  you don't mind.

Do you want to?

Irene:

I want to if you're ready.

Jinwoo:

Where are you? I'll pick you up

---

 

People said 'first love never died', but as soon as Jinwoo lay his eyes on Irene, he feels like whatever feelings that was left for his first love evaporated and his glass of heart completely empty now. She stood there, in an off-shoulder black dress that show off her beautiful shoulder. With a long wavy light ash brown hair that perfectly framed her face, she's so beautiful. So ing stunning that Jinwoo cursed inside his head, unconsciously checking whether his hair is in the best condition. He's not. He's still sweating from the performance earlier. Jinwoo just pray that he didn't look too bad.  

The other 3 boys watching from somewhere faraway. The other 2 girls also do the same. All of them curious what's will happened. 

"When someone like Jinwoo hyung and that girl are standing side by side, it seriously feels like the gate of paradise is opening", Seunghoon commented at the situation. 

After finally overcome his lovestruck, Jinwoo start to move his lips.

"Hi"

"Hi too."

Jinwoo keep chanting inside his head. Don't act stupid. Just act like normal.

"You are Irene, right? I am Jinwoo. Nice to meet you."

Jinwoo felt awkward, like a mannequin. Irene smiled at him. 

"Yes. I am Irene. Nice to meet you too, Jinwoo."

"I'm so surprised that you come despite your busy schedule. Thank you."

"No need to thanks about that. I get the invitation from my acquaintances. I decide to come on the spur of the moment."

"Should we move to another place? So we can chat more comfortably."

"I'm afraid that I don't have much time left. It's already 11 pm and my apartment is quite far from here. I'm sure you also need enough rest. You still have another performance for tomorrow."

"Ah, right", he try to not sound like he's disappointed but his voice betrayed him. Irene smile again toward him while flips her hair. His heart trembles like a vibration when he saw it. Is it what they call 'falling in love at the first sight'? In Jinwoo's case, it's more like slipping rather than falling.

"We can always meet some other time when we're not busy." Irene blushed when she said that. Jinwoo's face brighten up upon hearing it. 

"Irene, do you like beach?"

"Yes."

Jinwoo moistens his lips before asked, "Next week, I and my friends plan to go to the beach to play and have a barbecue party. I want to invite you and your friends to also come. I mean, the more the merrier, right?"

"Well, I'm free next week but I think I need to ask my friends whether they want to come or not."

"If I made you uncomfortable, if you don't want to, just let me know. You don't need to go with me if you're not ready yet. No pressure"

Irene shakes her head. "No. No. I want to go. Don't worry."

Jinwoo smile from ear to ear. "Really? I'm glad. I was worried if it seems I'm a bother or too forceful." He continued, "Oh, I almost forgot. You don't have my number yet, right? I've been meaning to give it to you. Is it okay if I ask for your number too?"

Irene smile shyly at him. "First, you ask my number. Maybe next you ask for my hand."

"I actually want to ask for your hand now."

"Eh?"

"I mean to you outside."  Irene is blushing.

"I'm sorry. We just know each other for 35 days. Not to mentioned this is our first meeting face to face. Is it too fast for me to say thing such as holding your hand?"

"It's okay. It's just that you don't need to me outside. My friends are waiting for me there." Irene pointed out to the place where Seulgi and Wendy is waiting. 

"I see". Jinwoo and Irene exchanged their phone number. 

"Irene." Jinwoo staring at her with beady eyes glazed with hopefulness. Irene return his gaze. "Yes?"

"It's really nice to meet you."

"Me too."

Jinwoo doesn't know where the hell this courage come from, but before he know it he already held out his hand to her. Irene blinked at the offering, didn't sure what to do at first. But she took hold of his hand. He hold her hand gently and their hands remained locked together on the way to where the other 2 girls waiting, which is unfortunately isn't that faraway. Jinwoo let go of Irene's hand and greet Seulgi and Wendy. He still accompany the 3 girls together until they get taxi to go home. 

Jinwoo touch his right hand that was holding Irene's hand. The warmth of her hand still lingering. He startled when a hand patted his back. As he turn around, he saw his 3 bestfriend.

Seunghoon grinned, "You are so lucky, Jinwoo hyung." 

"That Irene girl is so pretty. I almost jealous. I want to know pretty girls too." Seungyoon pouted. 

Jinwoo replied, "What are you talking about, Seungyoon? Krystal? Eunji? You have many beautiful friends."

Mino laughed, "He means pretty girls who like him back." Seungyoon elbowed Mino's chest. "As a fellow single, you need to shut up, Mino."

Mino touched his chest where Seungyoon just elbowed him. "Jinwoo hyung. If you get closer to Irene, please ask Seulgi's number for me".

"Why don't you asked her number yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

"I invite Irene and her friends to join our barbecue party next week."

A smile crept over Mino's lips. It's going to be a long week.